In Reversal, Breivik Declared Sane

Norway mass killer starts trial in 6 days
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 10, 2012 6:24 AM CDT
In Reversal, Breivik Declared Sane
This is a Feb. 6, 2012 file photo of Anders Behring Breivik as he arrives for a detention hearing at a court in Oslo, Norway.   (AP Photo/Heiko Junge, Scanpix Norway, File)

Anders Behring Breivik got his wish: A second evaluation of the extremist who killed 77 people in Norway found he was "not psychotic during the time of his actions on July 22, 2011." That's a reverse of the first evaluation's findings, and means that Breivik can stand trial and be sent to jail, rather than committed to a psychiatric ward. A court ordered the second psychiatric evaluation after last year's evaluation and subsequent diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia were widely criticized, the BBC reports.

Many noted that the July 22 attacks were well-planned and questioned whether Breivik could have pulled them off if he was truly insane, and Breivik himself called the assessment inaccurate last week. Breivik, who has admitted to the killings, is scheduled to start his 10-week trial Monday. The court will consider both psychiatric evaluations during the trial, the AP reports, and Breivik could still be sent into psychiatric care rather than prison if he is found guilty but also ruled to be psychotic. (More Anders Behring Breivik stories.)

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